Abstract
The objective was to examine vegetables and fruit consumption patterns
among Thai population across four regions and Bangkok. This study was a part
of the National Health Examination Survey III in Thailand conducting between
2003 and 2004. A total of 39,290 individuals aged ≥ 15 years were interviewed by
using a set of questionnaire including information on sociodemographic and
vegetables and fruit consumption. Employing descriptive statistics, Wilcoxon
rank-sum test and Kruskal-Willis test at 0.05 level of confidence. The findings
demonstrated that overall, an individual had average frequencies of vegetables
and fruit consumptions equal to 5.97 and 4.56 day per week, respectively. Individuals living in the Central and Northeastern regions had the highest number of
days per week for vegetables consumption, while those living in Bangkok had
the highest number of days for fruit consumption. On average, numbers of
servings of vegetables, fruit, and both vegetables and fruit consumed a day were
1.78 (median = 1.14), 1.46 (median = 1.00), 3.24 (median = 2.86), respectively.
People in Bangkok ate more vegetables, fruit, and both vegetables and fruit than
those in other regions. There were significantly differences in median number of
days per week and the amount of servings per day for vegetables and fruit consumed across four regions and the metropolitan (p< 0.05). Proportion of individuals who met the recommendation for vegetables, fruit, and both vegetables
and fruit consumptions were 26.9 percent, 35.4 percent, and 26.6 percent, respectively. In conclusion, frequencies and amount of vegetables and fruit consumptions in Thai people varied by regions of residence. Majority of Thais had an
inadequate daily amount of vegetables and fruit consumption.
